


Stimpacks and Sniper Rounds

by just_another_wasteland_merc



Series: Em and Mac [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Em and Mac, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, I'll tag this as I go, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, non-canon backstory, there is no synth Shaun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:01:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26632540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_another_wasteland_merc/pseuds/just_another_wasteland_merc
Summary: Em, a former pre-war medic from the US Army, is thrust into post-apocalypse Boston. As she searches for her missing son, she's pointed in the direction of a mercenary, down on his luck. As they travel together, they learn there's more in common with each other than they think. Can she trust him to teach her about living in the Wasteland, and can he trust her at all?
Relationships: Em Schanda/RJ MacCready, Robert Joseph MacCready/Female Sole Survivor, Robert Joseph MacCready/Sole Survivor
Series: Em and Mac [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937515
Comments: 26
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

The sun was warm as it peeked around clouds, shining down on the cul-de-sac of Sanctuary Hills. The leaves on a few of the trees were all but gone, remaining ones clinging to the branches still held a vibrant orange, yellow, and red, with brown teasing at the tips of them. A cool breeze came by and blew a number of them away, flying in intricate, crazed patterns in the wind as they seemed to almost dance with one another. The bite from the wind gave a hint towards the inevitable, that winter was once again just around the corner. 

The residents milled about on their manicured lawns, in their brand new cars, or with their loved ones under shade as they wore light jackets or tightly knit cardigans to keep out the wind. The small children played on the playsets, a couple walked along the river, a resident here and there were pruning their flowering bushes in the front lawn, and a dog barked as it ran after a fleeing squirrel.

“Em!”

With a sigh, Em closed the bathroom mirror. She glanced at her reflection, and her expression fell. Her wavy, mousey-brown hair fell almost midway down her back, the rubber band to secure it up into a bun was looped around her pale wrist as the shorter strands of hair framed around her face. Her soft, dark brown eyes flicked to her brow, and the angry, rough scar curving around her brow stared back at her. She thought about leaving her hair down for the day- she had no reason to tie it up, and covering her scar would be a nice change for once. Shaun wasn’t yet in the grabbing stage, but she didn’t want to leave anything to chance if she didn’t have to- maybe she could convince Nate to just keep an eye on him for a little while. 

_ Maybe I can finally get into town, _ she thought idly.  _ Our weekly rations might be ready for us this time. _

Em left the bathroom, sweeping her hair down her shoulder as she padded barefoot into the bedroom. She heard Codsworth’s jet in the laundry room, but she didn’t say anything to him, and the bot knew not to say anything to her, not yet. She opened one of the drawers to her dresser, pulling out a darkly washed pair of jeans, and held them up to her waist as the legs unfolded themselves. She smirked, pulling them on, and sagged in relief as the button didn’t cinch tight on her waist anymore. Her smirk grew into a brief smile as the denim hugged her legs.

_ Finally. Lost enough of the baby weight. _

Sure, skinny-fit jeans weren't exactly the norm around Sanctuary Hills, but she didn’t care. She loved being in them, and finally fitting back into them was a feat she could smile about. She pulled on a purple blouse over her black tank top, the sheer fabric resting around her. Digging out a pair of flats, she stuck them on, then went down the hall into the kitchen, keeping an eye on Nate as he sat on the couch watching television, grunting in response to the advertisements that were showing. Em was silent as she opened the fridge, pulled out a cold Nuka Cherry, and popped the cap off with a  _ hiss!  _ She glanced at the calendar on the fridge, and the current day was circled with a small balloon drawn on it. Friday, October 22, 2077. The Vault Boy smiled back at her, the signature thumbs up and wink almost made her feel worse.

“‘Bout time you got your ass out here,” Nate almost sneered without looking at her. “Sometimes I think you take too friggin’ long in there.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled in an automatic response. “Guess I got too carried away.”

“I don’t wanna hear it.”

She took a silent, deep breath, and sipped at her soda. Biting the inside of her lip, she left the bottle sitting on the counter as she went back down the hall to Shaun’s room, peeking into the crib to make sure he was still sleeping. She gently touched his cheek, the skin soft under her finger, and she gave a small, soft smile as he stirred but stayed asleep.

_ You won’t be like him _ , she thought. _ I know you won’t. _

Not wanting to disturb him any longer, she left his room and went back to the kitchen, perching herself on one of the stools by the counter, and quietly drank her soda as she stared at the television, not really watching what was running. She made sure another commercial came on before she spoke up again.

“Nate,” she started, mainly to get his attention. “I was wondering… maybe Shaun and I can run into the city for a while tomorrow?”

“The hell for?” His icy, light blue eyes were on her in a second. “Didn’t you do your running a few days ago?”

“No, Shaun had a checkup a few days ago. I’m talking rations. Our turn is tomorrow, so I was thinking-”

“Just get to the point.”

Her expression was steady as she quietly sighed. “If Shaun and I go early in the morning, we won’t have to be in line all day. In and out.”

“Go after nine.”

She knew better than to argue. She chanced a moment to meet his eyes with hers, and felt herself freeze up a little when he didn’t look away. 

“You should call your hairdresser,” he said. “Get that hair of yours trimmed again.”

“Is it too long?”

“It’s  _ always _ too damn long, Em.” 

Her expression fell, visibly defeated. “I’ll call her on Monday,” she sighed. “May I take Shaun to the park tomorrow after getting errands done?”

“I don’t care. Bring back some whiskey. We keep running out for some reason. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re drinking the shit again.” His eyes flicked away. “Go on, do what you want. I’m just gonna sit here. Have the bot watch the kid.”

Em settled on pulling a book from the shelf, something she hadn’t read in a long time. She went outside, sitting on the stoop of the front door, and basked in the cool breeze and warm sun. She read for what seemed like hours, only coming inside for another Nuka Cherry and to grab a small blanket, then once more for the night after the sun dipped too low for her to continue reading without squinting. She looked around, and noticed Nate was already gone from the couch. 

Codsworth floated down the hall into the living room and kitchen. 

“Sir is in for the night, Mum,” he quietly said. “And young Shaun has been really sleeping quite a lot today.”

“He needs it,” she murmured in response. She set the book back on the shelf and plopped the blanket over the couch before sitting down in the nearby cushioned chair. She smirked as Codsworth immediately floated over and folded the blanket properly before heading away again. 

“Does Sir need a reminder about the Veteran’s Hall tomorrow, Mum?” he asked.

“More than likely,” she replied. “I can do it in the morning.”

“As you wish. Also, since I was out and about this morning, I happened to run into one of the neighbors down the street. Miss Rosa, I believe?”

“Oh? Did she say anything to you?”

“Only to give you this, Mum.” He held a book in his claw, and she gently took it from him. “She said to keep it, as a repayment.”

She smiled at the cover, her hand smoothing tenderly over the sleeve. 

“And Mum?”

“Yes?” She looked up, realizing he was now floating in front of her, a small plate in his claw. He handed it to her, and she gave a small, quiet gasp at the slice of pie with a lit candle on it. She was too surprised to smile, as much as she should have.

“Happy birthday, Mum.”


	2. Chapter 2

Em rolled over in bed the next morning, her eyes blinking open. The curtains were closed, but the sun shined against the bright fabric, giving the room a nice warm glow around her. She wanted to stay in bed longer- the covers were warm as they hugged her and the pillow was soft. She looked over at the other side of the bed, and saw that Nate was already gone. She stared at the ceiling, breathing an unintentional sigh of relief. Her hair was in a loose braid and rested over her shoulder, and her hand covered her eyes for a moment.

_ Thank goodness,  _ she thought. She glanced at the clock, and grimaced that it was only eight forty-five. She waited a moment longer, then rolled out of bed, haphazardly tossing the covers back up to the pillow as she got dressed. Codsworth would eventually fuss over the bedding later, like he normally does; it was never quite perfect in his three mechanical eyes unless he did it himself, and Em was fine with that. 

She shook her hair loose from her braid, quickly brushed it, then changed into a pair of tan capris. She debated between a pink or blue top, then shrugged, pulling the blue one out of the drawer and threw it on, pulling her hair out from under the fabric. A metallic glint caught her eye on the top of her dresser, and she saw her dog tags. She went to touch them, but pulled her hand back, as if the metal would burn her. She bit her lip briefly, then turned away, leaving the bedroom to maybe get some coffee.

She received an enthusiastic “Good morning, Mum!” from Codsworth when she stepped up to the counter in the kitchen as he was already at the sink, washing dishes from Nate’s breakfast. When asked if she was planning on eating for the morning, she declined, quickly saying that she was planning on picking something up on the way home from the park with Shaun. Nate shot her a look, but she didn’t see it. He looked away when she glanced at him, and watched as he abruptly stood and went into the bathroom.

When she approached the island counter, she saw the new issue of Grognak. 

_ Must have been delivered this morning, _ she thought.  _ I don’t remember seeing it last night. _

She didn’t think much about it after, instead heading down to the bathroom and peeking in.

“Nate,” she murmured. “I’m just reminding you that you have that speech at the Veteran’s Hall tonight.” She waited for the scowl, or the quick response of “I know!”, but it didn’t come. Instead, he looked at her through the reflection of the mirror, and for just a moment, she saw his expression soften for a few seconds, the normal harshness gone. He instantly looked a few years younger. He ran a hand through his blonde hair as he sighed. 

“Thanks,” he replied quietly. 

She flashed him a brief smile before checking herself, and walked back to the kitchen. Her rubber band hugged her wrist, and she absently pulled at it. She reached up, gathered her hair into a fairly sloppy coil, and secured it, a few of the shorter strands already falling out around her face. She didn’t mind. 

“Codsworth,” she started. “Is there anything that we’re immediately low on? I’m heading into the city today with Shaun.”

“Nothing that needs to be picked up with urgency, Mum,” he replied. 

“Em?” Nate called from the bathroom.

“Yes?” she replied.

“Come here….  _ Please _ .”

She turned to join him, but the doorbell rang. She gave a small huff. “I’ll be right there, someone’s at the door.” 

“Well, make it quick.”

Em swung the front door open, trying not to think about what Nate wanted. A man in a tie, trenchcoat and fedora tipped his hat in greeting.  _ Shit, _ Em thought.  _ I forgot about this guy. _

“Good morning! Vault-Tec calling!” he announced happily. 

“Morning. I hear you’ve been trying to see us?” she offered with a smile.

The representative nodded. “Isn’t it? Just look at that sky out there! Yes, ma’am! You can’t begin to know how happy I am to finally speak with you. I’ve been trying for days.”

Em rubbed the back of her neck nervously, flushing a little. “Yeah.. Sorry. We, uh.. We haven’t been home.” It was almost true, her and Nate had been out with Shaun except for the previous day.

“Well, be that as it may, it’s of utmost urgency, I assure you.”

Her genuine smile returns. “Well, then I’m glad I opened the door.”

“As am I, ma’am, as am I. Now I know you’re a busy woman, so I won’t take up much of your time. Time being, ahem, a precious commodity…”

Her smile faltered a little, and her brow quirked, but she let him continue.

“I’m here today to tell you that because of both you and your husband’s service to our country, you have been pre-selected for entrance into the local Vault. Vault 111.” 

She opened her mouth to reply, but hesitated. What would Nate say? She was sure to get lectured about opening the door and talking with the representative. She bit the inside of her lip at first, then sighed. 

“But.. I have a family. You can fit us all, right?” she asked. 

“Oh, of course! Of course! Minus your robot. In fact, you’re already cleared for entrance. It’s just a matter of verifying some information. Don’t want there to be any hold ups in the unforeseen event of, ahem, total atomic annihilation. It won’t take but a moment.”

Em smiled again, noting the “conveniently timed” cough. “Alright. Let’s do it.”

The representative seemed surprised, but he handed her the clipboard and pointed to a section of lines on the paper. “Splendid! Splendid. Here. Just fill out these lines here.”

She took the form, filling out the appropriate parts. 

“What’s going on here,” Nate suddenly asked from behind her. Em jumped, not having heard him approach them. 

“Just uh…” she hastily handed the clipboard back to the rep, then his pen. “Just signed us up for the vault down the road. We have a free pass for all of us because of our service.”

“Oh.” He lost interest quickly and went to the couch, landing in the cushion with no grace or formality. 

“I’ll just eh, walk this over to the vault,” the rep said quickly as he backed down from the stoop. “But congratulations on being prepared for the future!”

Em smiled, giving a small, friendly wave. “Thanks again!” she called as she closed the door. She turned to finally ask Codsworth if there was any coffee available, but the bot was not in sight. She shrugged, then saw a steaming mug next to the Grognak comic. 

“The hell was that for?” Nate growled as she walked by. “You were chatting him up for a long time.”

“Nate, please. He was doing most of the talking,” she steadily replied. “Besides, it’s just peace of mind. I want Shaun to be safe.”

He grunted in response. “Would have been nice to have a friggin’ say in it,” he shot her a look. “Do you  _ really _ think that the end is coming? You make it seem like we froze our asses off in Anchorage for nothing.”

“That’s not it at all. It’s just a safety measure. It’s not like we have to pay for it, Nate.”

“Oh, is that suddenly an issue?”

Her eyes closed as her head fell back, sighing.  _ Fuck.  _ She heard Shaun start to cry. “That’s not…”

“Not,  _ what _ , Em?!”

“Mum,” Codsworth chimed in, floating into sight. “I’ve changed Shaun, but he absolutely refuses to calm down. I think he needs some of that, eh, maternal affection, you seem to be so good at.”

Grateful for the out, she slipped down the hall and into Shaun’s room. She heard him sigh and mutter something under his breath, but she didn’t catch it as she kept walking. Her troubles almost seemed to melt away when she saw the infant in his crib, and she gasped, smiling at him. She giggled a little when he smiled back, his limbs moving around excitedly. 

“Well hello, little one,” she cooed. “We’re heading out later.”

Em jumped again as Nate spoke up from the doorway. “Em, hey. I fixed his mobile. Give it a spin.” His tone was soft again, and it put her on edge. She spun the mobile, and it played as the rockets lazily spun. She felt his hand touch her arm, and she flinched at first before her head snapped up to meet his eyes. 

“Hey, I was hoping to talk later,” he said to her. “I could.. I dunno.. Come with you?”

_ Say ‘maybe next time’, _ she thought to herself, but her brows arched up. She wanted him to reach out to her. She tried to be there. She pushed off her own suffering, her own vivid nightmares, sleepless nights and irritability to try to help him. She opened her mouth to reply, but Codsworth interrupted them.

“Sir? Mum? You should come see this!” he called. 

“Go, Em,” Nate said. “I’ll get Shaun.”

“Codsworth?” she called. “What is it?” She left Shaun’s room to join him in front of the television. She didn’t quite hear the news anchor at first, but when Nate let out a shocked “what?”, and then the anchor said  _ nuclear detonations _ . 

Shaun was suddenly thrust into her arms, and she looked at Nate in fear, her mouth open, trying to form words, but they never came. Was this really happening? This couldn’t be real. Nate’s hand closed around her upper arm and wrenched her behind him, his grip tight on her as she sharply gasped in pain. He broke out into a run, and she struggled to keep up as he pulled her out the door of their home. Her smaller frame and shorter legs made it difficult to run as fast as he was going. 

“Nate!” she cried. “Please! Let go!  _ You’re hurting me and I can’t keep up!” _

He either didn’t hear her, or didn’t care. His grip seemed to tighten more, and she whimpered as she was tugged along. Shaun started to cry, and Em did all she could to calm him as they ran down the street, over the small bridge, and up the slope to the vault near the gathering crowd. The representative was there, pleading with the military to let him in as they blocked off access to the vault. 

“Wait!” Em gasped, breathless. “We’re on the list!”

The guard looked at the clipboard, unimpressed, but nodded as he waved the three through. The staff directed them to stand on a circular platform. Nate finally let go of Em’s arm, and she bounced Shaun a little in her arms. She felt his hand rest on her back between her shoulder blades, and she flinched at first, but relaxed once she realized it was a soft touch. 

“Almost there,” Nate said with a strained voice, as if he was trying to hide his emotions. Nate looked down at her, and tried to give a rare look of reassurance. “Are you and Shaun okay?”

She was genuinely surprised that he even asked, but she pushed it aside. “We’re fine,” she managed to reply.  _ Maybe it took the end of the world?... _

She felt the explosion in her chest before she heard the gigantic boom, before she saw the orange mushroom cloud. She felt as if her breath was pulled from her. Her eyes were fixed on the cloud, and she couldn’t hear anyone, not Nate yelling, Shaun crying, or the Vault-Tec security officers screaming for the elevator to descend. She couldn’t look away; she didn’t want to believe it. Her eyes were still glued to the sky above her as she held Shaun close to her, even when the elevator jerked to a stop.

Her world was gone. 

Her legs seemed to move on their own, or maybe it was the small push from Nate’s hand still resting on her back, but she climbed the stairs as she followed the small group into a brightly lit intake area. The staff were polite, giving them directions on where to go and what to pick up. Nate took two of the jumpsuits, even asking the staff member if the small sized one would fit Em- the petite pants she now  _ used _ to purchase had to be taken up thanks to her short legs, then followed the doctor as he led them down a hall to a large chamber. A couple of her neighbors gave them looks, even whispering close by. Em caught a couple phrases here and there, but most were around “can’t believe she’s still with him”, “didn’t he  _ give  _ her that scar?”, and “poor kid”. Her head ducked down, mostly out of sight, but the whispered damage was done. Her chest squeezed, and she bit down hard on the inside of her cheek.

The whispering continued behind her. A lady gasped, then Em heard “bruise”. Her eyes pinched shut, and bit down harder on her cheek, walking silently. She didn’t hear the doctor happily explaining the process as they led them down to a large chamber filled with what looked like pods.

_ “Hey,” _ Nate cut in sharply. 

Em’s head snapped up. “Sorry, what?”

The doctor smiled. “You must be scared yet. Not to worry, my dear! Just step into this pod here, and you’ll be decontaminated and depressurized before we head further into the vault. We need everyone in at the same time so we don’t waste resources, you see. We do ask that you put your new vault suit on, since it’s now required wear for the vault.”

She nodded numbly, and waited for Nate to finish dressing. A chill blew through her, and she shivered at first, not used to the cool air yet. She hoped the vault suit would help her warm up. Was it always this cold in here? She could handle the blowing wind and snow in Alaska, hell, even back where she was originally from, but it wasn’t winter yet. The summer reminded her that there were indeed warm places.

Nate reached for Shaun, and she promptly handed him over so she could get dressed, making sure to zip up the jumpsuit all the way up. It was snug, but not tight like she thought it would be. She didn’t even have to roll up the sleeves or the pant legs, and she was oddly relieved. She turned to reach for Shaun, but Nate shook his head. 

“I can hold him for a while,” he said. “For once, Em, don’t worry.” His words seemed oddly...kind.

This day was certainly screwing with her.

She nodded, and stepped into the pod. The door closed automatically, and she could see Nate bouncing Shaun, as if trying to reassure him. 

_ Maybe… just maybe... _ she thought. 

The automated computer counted down, and she seemed to grow cold-  _ really  _ cold. As if she couldn’t move. She tried wiggling her finger. 

_ Oh no.. I really  _ can’t  _ move..  _

She saw her breath leave her in a swirling mist before everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

The air hurt Em’s lungs almost as soon as she finally drew breath. She curled a hand into a fist, and almost screamed- her knuckles felt like they were breaking at every bend. She was sure that she wouldn’t be able to make a sound- she could barely bring air in, let alone get enough out to make a sound. The door to her pod opened, metal screaming against metal as Em fell out to the floor, her arms snapping out to catch her from hitting her face on the cold floor. They shook under her weight as she coughed, the only noise she could make to convey as she continued to try to breathe, her vision blurry. Everything hurt her. Her muscles screamed in protest, her skin felt like it was being poked with pins and needles, and her ears throbbed with a force that had her clenching her jaw. Blinking felt like her eyelids were sliding over broken glass, and when she finally gained control of her lungs, she started to panic when her vision didn’t improve. 

_ Fuck, fuck, fuck, am I blind?! _ she frantically thought.  _ What the hell did that doctor do to me?! _

She felt some of her hair fall in front of her face, a small lock brushing against the tip of her nose, but she could see a few things very close to her, mostly the brown and blue sleeves of her jumpsuit, the moving hair as it hung away from her eyes, and the main grey color of the floor. She turned her leg, pushed off of her arms, and sat on the floor for a moment, rubbing her eyes, the irritation intensifying for a moment, then slowly faded. She blinked a few more times, and pulled her legs up to her chest as she sat there. 

_ I’m not moving until either someone comes to get me, or until I can actually see. _

Her mouth touched her knees as she blinked, and her arms loosely hugged her shins. She wasn’t aware of how much time had passed as she sat there. The floor even seemed a little warmer than her body as she thought about it for a moment.

_ A flash of the view of the pod across from her _ .

She gasped quietly. She turned her head, listening for anyone. Footsteps, murmuring,  _ anything _ . But there was nothing. 

_ A figure in a bodysuit, almost like an advanced hazmat suit. _

Em blinked. The tiles of the floor were slowly becoming clearer around her feet. It was oddly comforting to see the bolts in the corners and the details of the boots that were provided for her. 

_ “This is the one. Here.” The voice was feminine, even though her face was shrouded in the hood of the suit. She points to Nate and Shaun’s pod. _

She flexed her numb, pale fingers, trying to push circulation back into them. Her nails dug into her palms as she balled her hands into a fist, leaving small u’s in her skin when she released them. They shook as she shivered, and she took a deep breath, watching as it curled around in a mist before quickly disappearing. 

_ A man joins the figure. _

Em struggled to remember the details of the man.  _ He carried a pistol,  _ she thought.  _ I think there was armor down his arm? Where were the Vault staff- the ones that gave us the suits and told us where to go?  _ She glanced up towards Nate’s pod, able to see the outline of the frost-covered window. 

Finally, she stood. Her legs shook at first, and she stumbled as her muscles struggled to function. She took a shaky step, almost falling when her leg threatened to give out from under her.

_ Open it. _

She could hear Nate’s voice and Shaun’s crying echo in her mind, almost as if the faded words and wails were bouncing off the corners of the room she was in. She suddenly remembered the rest, and her eyes pinched shut, willing the images away as she hit the switch of Nate’s pod. The same screaming sound came from the hatch as the door swung up, and Em let out the breath she didn’t realize that she held when her eyes landed on the dark red hole in her husband’s head, and the permanent shocked expression he held kept her rooted to the spot, her own face starting to mirror his.

But the shock was not of the horrible way he had died. She knew she would need more time to process what she was seeing, but another deep breath left her, almost automatically, as she hit the switch again, this time more aggressive, as her pulse quickened and her breathing picked up, nearly panting.

Nate’s pod sealed itself once more.

Em turned away from the pod, and stumbled towards the door. She mentally cursed at her legs as they still were stiff to move, and the few steps before the door to the rest of the vault had her wincing. She tried the main door where she was ushered through last time, but it wouldn’t budge. A speaker nearby crackled to life, and the automated recorded message sounded, but seemed to skip, fizzle out, and come back at random points to where Em ended up ignoring it, instead opening the other nearby door. She had to find  _ someone _ . 

Her legs seemed to “wake up” more the longer she wound herself through the hallways. She came across a skeleton wearing a vault jumpsuit, and gasped, taking an involuntary step back. They wore the same number she was wearing, how is this person a skeleton?

How long was she in her pod? Em shook her head briefly. She didn’t want to think about it. She pushed on, but ducked back around a corner once she saw something large crawling on the floor. She peeked out, and instantly grew alarmed.

_ Uh… Since when are cockroaches that big? _ she thought. She sighed; she didn’t like bugs to begin with even when they were regular sized. Her eyes screwed shut for a moment, and with a few self-assuring pats on her leg, she popped out from the corner and hoped that the bugs would just scurry away. 

“Christ…” she said almost immediately. One of the roaches turned and charged at her, taking a brief flight to try and bite at her arm. She swung at the same time, knocking it out of the air, and stomped down hard, smashing its head into goo beneath her boot as it tried to re-orient itself. She didn’t want to look at the mess, but she moved her foot enough to check that the giant roach was indeed dead. Em almost gagged as one of its wings twitched once, twice, then was still. 

“Please tell me that was the only one,” she said to herself. 

She kept moving through the vault, coming across more giant roaches that met their end with her boot, and more skeletons, some wearing lab coats, some wearing just the blue jumpsuit. 

_ Did… did those people that took my kid kill the staff here? _ Considering the man in charge of the woman she saw with him, Em didn’t put it past them. He seemed to know what he was doing, and he was only armed with a revolver-type pistol. She shook her head, chasing the thought away. She’d have to get out of the vault first and deal with him later. 

She found the security office the longer she followed the hallways, and found a stimpack on one of the desks. She stared hard at it, almost considering leaving it behind, before snapping it up and stuffing it into an available pocket at her thigh. She almost left the terminal alone, but she sat down at it, her curiosity getting the better of her. Reading through the officer’s logs, her heart sank. 

_ We weren’t supposed to be woken up? Why did they do this to us then? _

Em quickly got out of the chair and left the room, worrying her lip for a moment as she tried to make sense of what she read.Time had passed, that much she was certain of. The logs were dated until past Christmas of that year, so she figured she was frozen for at least a few months. The former residents here had turned to skeletons, and when she wracked her brain, she remembered it took months for bodies to decompose, probably  _ years _ . She sighed. Hopefully the Overseer’s office might be able to shed some light. She couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that the rumors she had heard about Vault-Tec was right, that they weren’t actually looking out for the people who resided in their vaults. 

She pushed the thought out of her head when she reached the Overseer’s office. A glint caught her eye, right on the desk, and she saw a 10mm pistol sitting just out of reach of a skeleton’s hand, presumably the Overseer. She picked it up, slid the receiver back a couple of times, and grimaced at the rough sound and sight of some rust. 

_ Ugh. I’m gonna need to find some oil. It’ll work for now, but I wonder if my old gun-cleaning kit is intact at home. Probably not.  _

She took a moment to load the available clip from the small box of ammo she found in the empty armory, next to the other pistol she found. She didn’t pick it up, but she moved it to a shelf below the surface of the Overseer’s desk as she pocketed the rounds, and took the clip from the gun in case she needed to reload hers quickly. She eyed the strange gun locked in the case, but she didn’t even try to open it- it looked locked tight, and she didn’t have any bobby pins. She shrugged, then turned and sat at the chair to read through the entries on the terminal, eventually shaking her head in exasperation. Of course Vault-Tec didn’t care, the government didn't either evidently. She at least hoped the representative she talked with on that terrible day didn’t know about what actually happened to everyone down here. 

Em found the option to open the escape tunnel, and breathed a long sigh of relief when the door immediately opened. She wanted to run, to get out as fast as she could. She felt as if the walls were listening, judging her every move since she came into the vault. The place was eerily quiet, except when she stepped on one or two loose floor tiles, almost scaring herself when she heard it squeak under her. 

She followed the tunnel, and after shooting down a few more roaches, she finally found herself in the atrium of the vault. Finally, something vaguely familiar. She tucked some stray hairs behind her ear as she approached the vault door controls, choosing to smash the roach that surprised her with her gut-crusted boot instead of shooting it. 

_ Hm. Seems like I need something to help me with controls. _

She shuffled her feet, and knocked something metallic by her boot, the dull rattle as whatever it was rolled on the floor. She looked down, and found a skeleton’s arm detached from the rest of the poor soul that almost made it to the control panel. Around the wrist sat something brown, slowly coming to a rest from her accidental kick. She was surprised at the weight of it when she picked it up, and hooked it onto her arm. 

_ What did that one RobCo rep say these were? Pip-Boys? _

She blew at the screen, and almost sneezed at the small cloud of dust that billowed up. She rolled her eyes at herself; of course it was a dumb idea. She hit the power button, hoping she could at least salvage enough power to get her out of the vault, and was surprised when the screen did an entire boot-up, the text flying across the screen in an easily readable light blue color against the black screen. 

The door screamed in protest, much harsher and a lot louder than her pod when she hit the switch, but finally,  _ finally,  _ the door opened. The walkway connected with the ramp at her feet, and she couldn’t hold in her anticipation to get out any longer. She pushed the small gate aside, and ran down the walkway, down the stairs, and onto the elevator platform, hitting the up button as she ran. She didn’t pay any attention to the automated voice, looking up to the opening hatch above her with excitement, worry, apprehension, and wonder all at the same time. 

_ Enjoy your return to the surface. We hope you enjoyed your stay at Vault-Tec! _


	4. Chapter 4

The first thing Em felt on the surface was a sharp wind, brisk and snapping at her cheeks, and blowing at her hair, knocking a few locks loose from her already messy bun from when she tied it up so long ago. When the wind didn’t blow, the air was noticeably warmer than down in the vault. The sun blinded her, and she held her arm up above her eyes to shield them. The shade that her arm created allowed her to finally see the landscape around her, and she gasped. 

The trees, once full of leaves of vibrant colors, stood still with barely any branches hanging from the trunk. The ones still standing almost looked like giant, broken toothpicks as they stood tall, the tops burnt off to a point. She could see the houses from the platform, worn down and dilapidated, but still mostly intact. The grass around her was a dull brown, lifeless under the sun. 

A noise behind her caught her attention, and she turned her head enough to see a few dead leaves skitter across the metal platform, then joined with a few others down the dirt path in a small whirlwind before floating away, a few snagging on the broken, rusted chain-link fence. The same breeze played at the loose strands of her hair, the ends lightly grazing against her cheek. She stepped down from the platform, crunching on the dead grass. A couple of containers around the area seemed promising as she peeked in them, and was relieved to find a few more stimpacks, a small box of ammo for her pistol, and a unit of Radaway.

_ Home, _ she thought.  _ I have to get home. _

She started down the dirt path, side-stepping a couple of the skeletons that used to be her neighbors. She bit her lip, remembering some of them begging to be let inside the vault. It was terrible how they died right here, on the spot, but were they better off than dying in the vault? Em wasn’t sure. She pushed on. She passed by a bush with bluish-purple flowers on them. She reached out to touch them, but pulled her hand back at the last second. What if they were poisonous? She’d have to find out what they were first. 

_ Too bad, _ she thought.  _ It’s such a beautiful color. _

Em crossed the small footbridge and up the hill back into Sanctuary Hills. A sharp glare caught her eye, and saw the metallic dome of Codsworth floating in front of her house. 

“Holy  _ shit, _ ” she murmured. She broke into a trot up to him. “ _ Codsworth?” _

One of his three eyes turned to face her, and he reared back a little. If he wasn’t a robot, Em could have sworn it would have been from shock.

“As I live and breathe!” he gasped. “It’s really  _ you, _ Mum!”

“It’s me, Codsworth.” She looked around at the forgotten cul-de-sac. Trees collapsed, a few houses didn’t make it through the nuclear blast, and cars, long hollowed out and rusted, lay on the broken street and in the yards, pale in color compared to what they used to be. She sighed. 

“This is what’s left?” she asked.

“Yes, Mum. The bombs came, and all of you left in such a hurry. I thought you and Sir were...dead.” His eyes seemed to droop down a little, before refocusing on her. “Have you seen Sir recently? And young Shaun?”

“Shaun…” her arms crossed on instinct, shrinking into herself. “Shaun’s been kidnapped.”

“And Sir?”

“Nate’s.. Dead. The kidnappers killed him when they took Shaun. You haven’t seen anyone around carrying him, have you?”

“No, Mum.” His clawed arm came up and gently patted her shoulder. “Is there anything I can do to assist you?”

Em thought for a moment. The kidnappers were more than likely long gone, so there would be no obvious way to track them. Hell, she was only armed with a  _ pistol _ . She thought back to when she hid her backpack that she was issued in the army. She remembered hiding it behind her dresser, out of sight, holding necessities like toiletries, an extra change of clothes, pajamas, her medkit, etc. She couldn’t remember how much cash she stashed away in there, but she figured it was around $500, sneaking a few tens and twenties here and there when Nate wasn’t looking, or when he actually gave her cash instead of insisting she used their credit card, she always kept half in her pocket, eventually hiding it when he wasn’t home. 

She was quiet when she passed Codsworth, forgetting to reply to him as she went into her house. She sighed quietly- her house was a mess. Leaves were everywhere, parts of the wall were missing, windows were shattered and glittered back at her on the floor, and tiles were loose on the floor. She could even see out her roof from where she was standing. She hoped it didn’t rain soon. She heard Codsworth talking to her, but it felt muffled. 

_ A flash of a clean house, freshly vacuumed floors, and the table neatly set. _

Em shook her head.  _ This _ is her new reality now, with blown out light fixtures, peeling panels from the walls, and holes in the roof. She tried not to think about it as she rounded down the hall to her bedroom, most of her things gone either from the blast or long scavenged. Her bed lay broken and mattress-less, awkwardly standing on opposite legs as it teetered in the stronger gusts of wind. She shoved the small dresser aside, and wondered how in the world her backpack was still there. It had more than one layer of dust caked on it, but she shook it off as she picked it up. It seemed lighter than she remembered, but she opened it to check the contents. She groaned. Some of the stuff was indeed stolen, the clothes and toiletries mostly, but her medkit remained mostly intact. A few of the smaller things were missing, but she was surprised that the cash remained there. Surely that would have been in someone’s pocket first?

“Codsworth?” she called as she zipped up the main pocket. She lowered her voice once she heard him float to her. “How long was I in the vault?”

“Well, Mum, I  _ was _ just talking about that,” he seemed annoyed. 

Em’s shoulders slumped a little. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sure you’re under a lot of stress, Mum. Not to worry. You were in there for a bit over two hundred and ten years.”

She completely froze. Her pack fell from her hands, slumping to the floor in a heap. She had to sit fully on the floor instead of crouching. 

_ Two hundred years...gone, _ she thought. 

“Are… you sure?” she didn’t remember asking. Her voice almost seemed to project itself. 

“Well, given Earth’s gravitational pull and maybe a ding on the old chronometer, yes. You should check your Pip-Boy that you have there. It can confirm the date, if you like.”

She looked down at her wrist, and sure enough, there was a date displayed at the bottom of the screen.

_ October 23, 2287.  _

“So, I suppose, happy belated two hundred and thirty-fourth birthday, Mum!” Codsworth sounded cheery, even chuckling a couple of times. “Now that it’s just us, I assume I can vocalize such sentiments?”

Em nodded. He seemed almost  _ too  _ cheery, though. She grabbed her pack and finally stood, the shock of the years that went by finally dissipated enough for her to focus. Looking right into the closest eye-stalk, her brows furrowed.

“You seem off, Codsworth,” she tried. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Oh?” The bot seemed at a loss for words at first, and bobbed back a little in silence. “Oh, Mum, it’s been just  _ horrible! _ Two centuries with no one to talk to, no one to serve! I spent the first  _ ten years _ trying to keep the floors waxed, but nothing gets nuclear fallout out of vinyl wood. Nothing! And  _ don’t  _ get me started on the futility of dusting a collapsed house! And the car!  _ How do you polish rust?!” _

“Whoa, hey,” Em held a hand out in front of her, fighting the urge to shrink at the sudden outburst from him. “It’s okay! You did the best you could. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“All I wish to do is serve, Mum!”

“I know, buddy. You’re doing great. Thank you for doing everything you could while I was gone.”

Codsworth “sniffed”. “You’re welcome.” He straightened. “Now, Mum. We should get you ready to get out into the world!” He floated away, out of her bedroom and down the hall for a few moments. Em zipped up the main pocket of her pack, but heard some metallic sounds and something heavy lean against the wall. The Mister Handy returned a few minutes later, two of his appendages holding out a bundle of folded clothes. 

“You’re going to need something less... bright to wear if you’re going to blend in and find young Shaun, Mum. I also kept your gun as hidden as I could. Not easy to do when there were looters. Seriously, Mum. The morals of today, gone!”

She gave a single chuckle as she took the bundle from his arms, and set it on the dresser. Her old combat rifle was dusty, but intact. She figured it could use a good cleaning soon. She leaned it against the wall, staring at the set of dog tags glinting back at her as it lay inside her jacket. Her fingers reached for the chain, but they closed into a fist before her skin brushed against the metal. Instead, she pulled at the zipper to her jumpsuit. She was quick to change, but when she hung her dog tags around her neck, she made sure to hide them under the black tank underneath her uniform. The wide, white band on her arm stuck out against the olive green of her jacket, and she had considered taking it off. 

_ No, _ she thought.  _ I can still be a medic out here. Probably more than I was in Alaska. _

With a sigh, Em hefted her backpack onto her back. She chambered a round into her combat rifle, and saw Codsworth floating in the doorway to the hall. 

“Mum,” he started. “I realize it may be dangerous, but if you’d like, I could accompany you. I’m no Mister Gutsy, but I could still assist if needed.”

Em smiled, patted one of his eye stalks, and shook her head. “You’re sweet to offer,” she answered. “I think I can handle it from here.”

“Very well, Mum. If you wish to ask others, there are some people in Concord. Remember the way? Across the southern footbridge?”

She nodded. “I remember.”

He puttered away, down the hall to get back to the larger room. “I’ll stay here, then! Maybe I can tidy up the house while you’re away, now that I know you’ll be returning to it.”

Em smirked in his direction before finally leaving the house, back out into the sun. She didn’t even hear any birds chirping anymore, so the walk out of Sanctuary Hills was eerily silent. She stayed near the rail of the footbridge, not wanting to slip on the collapsed half and fall into the water, even if it only came up to maybe her knees after a good rain. Seeing the dead person on the other side lying next to a dead...dog?- It was certainly hairless- she grimaced at the sight of the tire iron sticking out of its abdomen. She shook her head after a moment, and pushed on to almost pass the Red Rocket station, but a bark caught her attention, and a German Shepherd trotted up to her. 

She stuck her hand out for him to sniff, and after a moment, she crouched down once he wagged his tail a couple of times, giving his head a good scratch as he sniffed her arm. 

“Well, hey there,” she said with a smirk. “What are you doing out here all by yourself?”

The dog whined, almost responding to her. He flopped his head to the side, then wagged his tail again. 

“You can stick with me if you want. I’m sure I could use your help.”

He “boofed” at her, then licked her hand when she pulled it away, and watched her as she stood. He circled around her, then came to a stop at her side. Em scratched the fur on his head between his ears. She then waved for him to follow, and set on the short walk to Concord.


End file.
